Freight-handling apparatus



B. F. FITCH wucntoz AM: k wfiw QM,

r 1,630,736 8. F. FITCH FREIGHT HANDL ING. APPARATUS Original FiledSept. 27. 19'24 4 Shoots-Sheet 2 III May 31,1927. 1,630,736

B. F. FITCH FREIGHT HANDLING AFPARATUS Original Filed Sept. 27, 1924 4$hets $heet 4 fla e?) 75a on a a,

Patented May 31,1927.

IBENJAMIN F. FITCH, OF GREEN WICH, CONNECTICUT.

,FREIGHT-I-IANDLING APPARATUS.

Application filed September 27, 1924, Serial No. 740,192. Renewed April25, 1 927.

This invention relates to hoisting and transporting mechanism primarilyadapted for raising and moving the bodies of automobile trucks for usein connection with the 'ranster of freight, at terminal stations. Theinvention is in the nature of an improve ment on the one-leggedgantry-crane mechanism illustrated in Patent No. 1,437,966 issued to me,December 5th, 1922.

The subject matter set forth in my prior patent, embodies a stationplatform disposed intermediat a truck runwayand a building, togetherwith a one-legged gantry crane which is supported intermediately by aground rail and at the inner end by two overhead rails mounted on thebuilding, two wheels, one disposed above the other, being arranged toengage such overhead rails. The powe trackway, however, is applied onlyto the wheels which travel on the ground rail; which has a tendency toskew the mechanism and subjectit to undesirable stresses.

One of the objects of the present invention tlieretore, is the provisionof means for applying power not only to the wheels which track on theground guide, but also to the two wheels which travel on the overheadguide, these latter wheels being rotated in opposite directions so thatthe track-engaging portions of the two wheels are moving in the samedirection. The result is that the power drives the crane frame in agiven direction, irrespectire of whether the lower elevated wheel or theupper elevated wheel. is forced against its rail by the action of theload. This is important, because in operating the cranecarriage totransport the load -from one'side of the leg of the gantry to the other,the thrust on the elevated rails changes from upward to downward andvice versa My invention contemplates an arrange ment of drivingmechanism which permits a single source of power to etl'ect simultaneousoperation of the wheels tracking on the upper guide, with the wheelstracking on the ground guide. propelling the main tramecan be suppliedequally. and the crane can thereby be moved smoothly independently ofthe shifting of the center of gravity of the crane, due to movement or"the supplen'lental frame with reference of the main flilnlfl.

The preferred means for carrying out my invention is illustrated in thedrawings and for propelling that crane along the Thusthe power for.

hereinafter fully set forth in the accompanying description. Theessential characteristics of my invention are summarized in, the claims.N

In the drawings Fig.1 is a side elevation of a building having a craneembodying my invention and mounted to travel along one side thereof;Fig. 2 is a section taken transversely through the building andplat."i'orm and snowing a side elevation of the crane illustrated in Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is an" end view oi the crane on an enlarged scale; Fig. l is asection taken on the line 4 -4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section taken onthe line 55 in l igua; and Fig. 6 is a view showing details ofconstruction of part of the opeiating mechanism; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of aniodiliediliorm of driving gearing;Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line of Fig. 7.

l have shown my invention in connection with a gantry crane which ismounted to move longitudinally of a platform 10, which platform .isdisposed intermediate a truck runway 11 and a building 12. A trackwaycomprising a lower or gror'md rail 18, preterably mounted ontheplattorm, and an overhead guide comprising two opposed rails ll and15, or a single double faced rail, mounted on the building functions tosupport the main trame of the crane. This frame carries two wheels 31and 32 engaging this overhead guide. The main frame is arranged toextend outwardly beyond the platform and to overhang a portion of therunway. It supports a supplemental frame 16 which is movablelongitudinally of the main frame and therefore transversely of theplatform. The supplemental frame is provided with mechanism includingcables 1 7 for engaging a load. The structural features of the main andsu iplemental "frame are referred to more in detail in the patentheretofore mentioned, and accordingly l'llQClQSCl'lPtjlOfl herein w llbe directed principally to the mechanism tor moving the main frame alongthe trackya v any suitable source of power may be employed for movingthe crane and to this end I have shown an electric motor indicatedgenerally at 20, which may be geared through bevel gear connection to ashaft 22. This shaft is illustrated as extending. vertically and asbeing journaled in bearill ings 23 and mounted on part of the mainframe. The lower end of the shaft 22 is shown as operatively connectedby gearing Q5 and 26 to the wheel 26 which travels on the rail 13. i

To effect simultaneous movement of the wheels 31 and 32 I haveillustrated a shaft 27 which may be supported in bearings 28 and 29 uponthe bridge of the main frame, and may be operatively connected bygearing 30 to the shaft 22. The wheel 31, arranged to engage the rail15, may be rigidly mounted on the shaft 27 supporting the inner end ofthe main frame, whenever the center of gravity in the crane is disposedwithin the trackwayQ The wheel 32 is mounted upon a shaft 33 and isadapted to engage the rail 14. The shaft 33 is carried by the main frameand the wheel 32 is positively connected to the wheel 31 as by gears 34:and 35, which are mounted on the shafts 27 and33 respectively. The wheel32 absorbs the upward thrust exerted on the inner end of the main framewhenever the center of gravity is shifted out-side the rail 13.

The wheels 31 and 32 may be directly above each other and straddle tworails, or one double faced rail, but I prefer to mount them between tworails a considerable distance apart for the following reason. To enableeasy movement of the wall wheels 31 and 32, it is desirable that theyhave comparatively large diameter, but to place such large wheelsdirectlyabove each other might be dangerous in causing them to overlapthe windows in thestory below or the story above in the buildingcarrying the rails. I have accordinglyv setone of these wheels inadvance of the other, and only a small dis tance higher, as shown inFig. 4, andhave provided two rails, as shown, which are only slightlyfarther apart than the diameter of a wheel.

The positive connection between the wheels which engage the overheadrails is such, that shifting of the center of gravity of the craneaccompanied by the shifting of pressure from one to the other overheadrail has no effect upon the motion of the crane along the traekway. Forexample, if the supplemental frame is in the position shown in Fig; 2,then the center of gravity of the main frame is outside the rail 13, andthe inner end of the main frame exerts an upward thrust upon the rail1a. Accordingly, the wheel 32 is then functioning to propel the framealong the traekuuiy. If during such movement of the main frame, thesupplemental frame is caused to move inwardly until the load is over theplatform, then as the center of gravity of the main frame moves inwardlyacross the rail 13, the thrust on the inner end ofthe main frame,changes from an upward to a downward pressure. Thereupon, the wheel 31assumes the thrust without in any 'ay affecting the travel of the mainf'ame. This is readily apparent upon reference to Fig. 4-, wherein thewheel 31 is shown as turning in a clockwise direction, while the wheel32 is turning in a counter-clockwise direction. Accordingly, each wheelis arranged to engage a rail in such manner that the frame is propelledin one direction so long as the shaft 27 is rotating in one directionand independently of the direction ofvertical thrust with reference tothe building.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a modified form of gearing for mymechanism which will obviate the necessity for attaching two rails tothe building wall and provide for placing the driving shaft extendingfrom the bevel gearing 30 to the driving wheel on the end of the crane,and the auxiliary idler shaft in vertical alignment. This constructionconsists generally of a T-rail 55, a pair of flanged driving wheels56uud 57 geared together and mounted upon a driving and an idler shaft.The driving shaft is indicated at 27 and the idler at 33. 'lhisconstruction is simplified by the elimination of supporting bracketssuch as shown in Fig. 5 and to attach the single Jrail it is onlynecessary to provide openings through the wall to receive attachingbolts 58 extending thrmigh the foot flanges of the rail. Spur gears 60and 61 of identical pitch connect the gears and the shafts may besupported by depending and upstanding brackets (32 and 63. It will beseen that when theload is supported on the building side of the gantry,the. wheels 5'? will be in engagement with theuppcr edge of the railflange while, when the load is disposed beneath the over-hanging end ofthe gantry,thc roller 56 is in. engagement with the rail and thedirection of driving is maintained as in the other construction.

.From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I haveprovided mechanism for enabling a one-legged gantry crane to bepropelled along a traclrway by employing two oppositely rotated tractionwheels, and utilizing a source of power for effecting simultaneousrotation of traction wheels upon the overhead guide and upon the groundrail. My cimstruction also permits the one-legged gantry crane to hemoved along its trackways while the supplcuunilal frame is being movedtransversely so as to shift the center of gravity of the crane. The useof a gantry crane for handling freight particularly where a stationplatform is disposed intermediate the crane and the truclrrunway isadvantageous, in that the wall of the building adjacent the platform isthus free for movement of freight between the building and the platform.

My invention is very useful in connecticni with freight terminalsorwarehouses having an external platform between the wall Sill lilo

i iii) of the building and the city street, when tratlic is crowded andit is desirable to free any particular entrance of the building jforunloading or loadingpurposes at any time orto stand automobilebodies fora short time on a platform space which at some other time is intendedfor use in trucking to or from vehicles. Under these conditions, whenany container standing on a platforn'ris in the way, it isintended foruse in trucking to or from vehicles, it raised from the platform and trolleyed outwardly beyond the gantry leg, then the gautry movedlengthwise across any existing bodies to some free bay and the body thentrolleyed inwardly and deposited on the platform.

It will be seen that this mechanism allows the bodies to be trolleyedlengthwise of the platform either over the platform or over the citystreet as may best suitthe conditions. A I thus adapt the station forintensive operation, enabling ordinary loading and unloading of generaltrucks to'be performed as usual, and, at the same time, enabling thetransportation of containers to and from the platform to be effected ina manner which will not interfere with the rest of the traffic.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with an overhead guide of a one-legged gantry cranehaving a main frame, two opposed wheels on said frame adapted to engagethe guide for moving the frame, means for rotating said wheels inopposite directions, and a supplemental frame provided with loadsupporting mechanism and traveling on the main frame from one side ofthe leg to the other, whereby either wheel may be caused to bear againstthe guide to the exclusion of the other wheel.

2. In combination, a traveling crane, a trackway therefor, saidtrackwayincluding an overhead guide at one end of the crane adapted tosupport that end, means for tipping such end in either direction, twowheels rotatably mounted on the crane and so arranged that said wheelsoppositely engage the guide, gearing connecting said wheels, and meansoperatively connected with one of the wheels for moving the crane alongthe trackway.

In combination, a traveling crane, a trackway therefor, said traclrwayincluding two rails one disposed above the other and at one end of thecrane and either adapted to support that end, means for tipping such endup or down, two wheels rotatably mounted on the crane and so arrangedthat each wheel engages only one rail, gearing connecting said wheelsand means operatively connected with one of the wheels for moving thecrane along the trackway.

,4. In combination, a crane, track'ways therefor, arranged to supportthe crane at one end thereof and nitern'iedia te the ends thereof, theend support comprising an.

for si' pporting one end of the crane, said traelnvay having two railfaces, one disposed above the other, two wheels rotatably mounteduponthe crane, one of said wheels beingin engagement with the lower railface, and the other ofsaid wheels being in en gagement with the upperrail face, means for tipping the frame to cause either wheel to bearagainst the guide, a source of power on the frame, and means operativelycon: necting the wheels with the source of po wer so that the wheelsrotate in, opposite direc tions, whereby the crane may be propelledalong the trackway in a given direction, irrespective of which wheel isin driving engagement with its rail.

6. In combination, a crane, atrackway therefor, said trackway includingan elevated, guide for supporting one end of the crane, and alsoincluding a ground rail disposed intern'iediate the ends of the crane,said crane having a portion thereof overhanging the ground rail, andhaving a carriage adapted to be moved across the ground rail, wherebythe center of gravity of the crane is shifted so as to move the craneabout the ground rail as a pivot, two wheels rotatably mounted on thecrane, one of said wheels being in engagement with the lower face of theoverhead guide, the other of said wheels being in engagement with theupper face of said guide, whereby the thrust of the crane iscounteracted by one face when the center of gravity of the crane isdisposed within the trackway, and is counteracted by the other face whenthe center of gravity of the crane is outside the ground rail, and meansoperatively connecting said wheels for propelling the crane, whereby theshifting of the center of gravity of the crane will not affect themovementof the crane.

7. In combination, a crane, a trackway therefor, arranged to support thecrane at one end and comprising two rails one disposed above the other,two wheels rotatably mounted upon the frame one in advance of the other,the distance between the rails being materially less than the sum of thediameters of the wheels, one of said wheels he ing in engagement withthe lower rail, the other of said wheels being inengagement with theupperrail, a source of power, and means operatively connecting bothWheels with the source of power.

8. In combination, a crane, a tracliway therefor, said trackwayincluding a pair of overhead rails for supporting one end of the crane,and also including a ground rail so disposed that a portion of the craneoverhangs the ground rail, said crane including a carriage adapted to bemoved across the ground rail, wheels on the frame tracking on the groundrail,and two elevated wheels rotatably mounted on the crane and gearedtogether to rotate in opposite directions, one of said elevated wheelsbeing in engagement with the lower of the overheadrails, the other ofsaid, elevated wheels being in engagement with the upper overhead rail,and means for driving all of said wheels for propelling thecrane alongthe trackway, whereby the shifting of the center of gravity of the cranedue to the in and out travel of the carriagewill not affect the movementof the crane.

9. In combination, a'crane, two overhead rails disposed in substantiallythe same ver- TI r' in) to engage the lower overhead rail whenever thecenter of gravity is disposed within the trackway and the other of saidwheels being adapted to engage the upper overhead rail whenever thecenter of gravity of the 0 "am is disposed outside the ground rail, saidwheels being operatively connected to rotate synchronously, whereby eachwheel engages the associated rail in such manner that the thrust betweenthe wheels and rails may be changed from one vertical direction to another, while the wheels are rotating, Without affecting the movement ofthemain frame along the tracltway, and a source of power on the mainframe for driving said wheels;

In testimony whereof, I hereuntoaliix my signature.

BENJAMIN F. FITCH.

